Crime Fiction Awards

(formerly Mystery Book Awards)

There are many organizations that annually recognize outstanding writing in the field of mystery, suspense, thriller and crime fiction. Select the award from the list below for more information on the authors and titles that have won. (The date next to the award is the first year in which the prize was given out; an alphabetical list is in the left sidebar menu.)

The "Nero" is an annual award presented to an author for literary excellence in the mystery genre. The award is presented at the Black Orchid Banquet, which is traditionally held on the first Saturday in December in New York City.

The Anthony Awards are given at each annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention with the winners selected by attendees. The award is named for the late Anthony Boucher (William Anthony Parker White), well-known writer and critic from the New York Times, who helped found the Mystery Writers of America.

The annual Best Private Eye Novel Contest is sponsored by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published "private eye" novel (as defined by the contest sponsors).

The Macavity Award is named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International organization vote for their favorite mysteries in several categories.

The Lambda Literary Awards are presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation in 24 categories (including gay men's mystery and lesbian mystery) are based principally on the quality of the writing and the LGBT content of the work.

The annual Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest is sponsored by St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published traditional mystery novel (as defined by the contest sponsor).

The Independent Book Publishers Association recognizes excellence in independent publishing with the Benjamin Franklin Award. Awards are given in many categories, including Mystery/Suspense, for books published in the previous year.

The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1992 by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of Murder Ink (now sadly closed), the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.

The Glass Key Award is given annually by the Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet (Crime Writers of Scandinavia) to the best crime novel written by a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish author.

The Best Books Awards honor outstanding books from mainstream and independent publishing houses and are sponsored by USA Book News. There are over 150 categories of which mystery and thriller are included.

The National Book Awards (formerly known as the British Book Industry Awards), which honor all sectors of the book business, has provided the industry with a prestigious platform from which it has been able to recognize and reward its own.

The Quill Awards are the only book awards to pair a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz. They are the first literary prizes to reflect the tastes of all the groups that matter most in publishing--- readers, booksellers and librarians.

The winner of the Crime Novel of the Year Award is announced during the opening ceremony of the annual Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate (UK). The winner is chosen by readers who voted from a shortlist of titles.

The annual Reader Views Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, university press, or independent book publisher.

The winners of the Thriller Awards are announced at ThrillerFest, an annual event hosted by the International Thriller Writers organization, to recognize the best books published in this genre from the previous year.

The annual Best First Crime Novel Contest is sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America and St. Martin's Minotaur. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published crime novel (as defined by the contest sponsors).

Named in honor of David G. Sasher, this award is given out annually by Deadly Ink Press to honor the best mystery published during the prior year. Winners are announced during the Deadly Ink Conference.

Recognizing excellence in the field of mystery fiction, the Strand Critics Award is judged by a select group of book reviewers from the nation's top daily newspapers, as well as by the managing editor of The Strand Magazine.

The Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA) recognizes excellence in books that reflect Southern California culture or lifestyle, with authors/illustrators living within the SCIBA region.